Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Oak Hills’ Graham reached CIF-SS Finals in three events

Thursday

Jul 3, 2014 at 12:01 AMJul 3, 2014 at 11:47 PM

There are steps, both literal and figurative, to every track race.

Schae Graham is familiar with the steps in different races. She runs in enough events to know.

The Oak Hills graduate’s primary events this year were the 200 and 400 meters and the 4x100 and 4x400 relays, but she also ran the 800 and 100 on occasion and competed in cross country during the fall. She is the Oak Hills record holder in the 200, 400, 800 and both relays.

In other words, she knows a little about how to run.

“I think it just uses different methods of running,” Graham said. “The 400 there’s four points, you have to get out fast, stay out and pace yourself and then give it all at the end. Then the 200, that one you just have to get out as fast as you can in the beginning and hope that your start was good enough. The 800, that’s where I really use a lot of strategy. The first lap I try to position myself and the second lap I try to catch up and make sure I have good spot for when I finish the race.”

Graham made it to the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 Finals in the 200, 400 and 4x100 relay. She completed the 200 in 25.05 seconds to finish fourth and followed that with a 57.25 in the 400 to finish third. The 4x100 relay team finished ninth at 50.28.

She ran the 400 in 55.66 at the Arcadia Invitational, which at the time was the fifth fastest mark in the state this season. It ended up being the 13th fastest. She also had the 41st fastest wind-aided time (24.82) and the 66th fastest wind-legal time in the 200 (25.05).

Because of her speed and versatility, Graham is the 2014 Daily Press Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Graham started out her career running more distance races. One day during her sophomore year, Oak Hills girls track and field coach Steven Lozano needed a runner for the 4x100 relay and stuck her in.

“We looked at her like, hey this girl is really athletic,” Lozano said.

She made the transition to sprinting nicely, but Graham has never been one to be tied down to one thing.

She said she can’t pick a favorite event. It’s either the 400 or 4x100. She likes the individual spotlight at times but also enjoys the merits of teamwork.

Off the track, Graham is headed to Division II Academy of Art University in San Francisco in August, where she’ll major in fashion design. From there her goals are ambitious within the fashion industry.

“I see myself opening my own business in a couple different countries,” Graham said. “That’s the big picture. I want to do sports clothing and then eventually move on to women’s wear and men’s tuxedos; a very wide variety of clothing.”

She’s applied for international housing on campus to meet new people. When she isn’t running a multitude of events, she draws and paints. She gets inspiration from the things she sees on runs. When it comes to designing fashion, she thinks about the way her arms and legs move as she runs and how clothing falls with those movements. She already has a few ideas in mind.

“I wish they’d have pockets for girls’ shorts,” Graham said. “They are never deep enough. I like the belts that have the water pouches, except those get heavy sometimes.”

She’ll likely run the 400 and 800 in college.

Lozano set the goal of Graham hitting the 55-second range in the 400 this year and Graham seemed well on her way from the start. She ran a then personal best 57.07 at the Grizzly Invitational at the start of the season.

She finally dipped into the 55s with a 55.66 at the Arcadia Invitational in mid-April, finishing second in the race.

“I was so nervous. My coach, I was warming up with him and (he) kept telling me that today feels like a really good day,” Graham said. “That just got me so excited.

“(After the race) I was smiling. The smile was huge across my face. I crossed the line with this grin that could not get off until the next day.”

Graham credited a new diet she started shortly before the race for helping her reach the goal. She switched to a pescatarian diet, which generally consist of fish but no other meats, but Graham made an allowance for organic chicken.

“I felt like I just needed to be healthier, and that would get me to the goal I set for myself in the 400 meters,” Graham said. “I figured it’s better to run a good race than the short-term happiness of food.”

Although Graham is a professed food lover, she was able to make the adjustment and feel better as an athlete as she did it.

“When I see somebody walk by with chili cheese fries I tell myself, ‘Do you want to win this race?’ ”

When Graham starts to lean toward the fries, her mom is quick to ask her if she’s kidding. To which Graham responds: “I guess I am.”

The diet didn’t last forever. After wrapping up her season by competing in three events at the CIF-SS Div. 2 Finals she indulged in a steak.

“I was exhausted,” Graham said. “I was so ready to go home after my last event because I love food. So I was excited to eat and then take a hot shower and go to bed. That was a really exciting day still.”

She plans to return to the diet as she starts more serious preparations for college. There, she hopes to bring down her time in the 400 to 51 seconds.

You know, when she’s not plotting the launch of her international fashion empire.

2014 DAILY PRESS ALL-AREA GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD TEAMSPRINTSBRIE COURSEAULT, SO., SULTANACourseault finished fifth in the 400 meters at the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 Finals with a time of 57.76 seconds. A week earlier, she finished sixth at the Div. 2 Prelims with a time of 57.47. That ranks as the 67th best time in California this season, according to prepcaltrack.com. She also ran the 200, 800 and on the 4x100 relay for the Sultans.

DISTANCEMELISSA FAIRCHILD, SR., SERRANOAlthough she wasn’t able to make a return trip to State in the 1,600 meters, Fairchild still dominated as she wrapped up one of the most decorated running careers in High Desert history. She won the MRL title in the 800 and 1,600 and advanced to the Div. 2 Finals in the 1,600, where she ran a season best 5:02.67. That was the 70th best time in California this year according to prepcaltrack.com.

KATIE DEIMLING, SR.,GRANITE HILLSDeimling ran the 1,600 in 5.00.68 at the Div. 3 Finals to finish second and narrowly miss out on advancing to Masters. That was the 53rd fastest time in California this year, according to prepcaltrack.com. Deimling won the 800 and 1,600 titles at the DSL Finals. She also helped the Cougars’ 4x400 team reach the CIF-SS Div. 3 Prelims.

HURDLESINDIA OWENS, SR., SILVERADOOwens, who’s headed to Cal State Fullerton on a track scholarship, ran the 300 hurdles in 44.15, which is believed to be the fastest time in that event by any High Desert athlete, according to Silverado coach Corey Allen. That time, a personal best for her, came at the Mt. SAC Relays and earned her the 32nd best time in California this year, according to prepcaltrack.com. She ran a 44.20 at the CIF-SS Div. 1 Prelims and a 44.72 at the Div. 1 Finals to place fourth but miss the cut for Masters. Owens also won the 100 at the DSL Finals and consistently ran sub-13 second times. Her 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams also took DSL titles.

JUMPSKRISTINA MOYER, JR., SERRANOMoyer was the top local jumper in the long and triple jump and also competed in the 100 hurdles. The junior won MRL titles in the triple jump (33 feet, 31⁄2 inches) and the long jump (16-61⁄2). She finished 10th in the Div. 2 Prelims in the long jump, missing moving on by a half inch with a jump of 16-51⁄2, and 27th in the triple jump.

THROWSJANELLE FLORES, SR, SERRANOMost known for work in goal for the Serrano girls soccer team, Flores won the MRL title in the shot put and came in second in the discus. She had her best throw of the year in the shot put at the Div. 2 Prelims with a 37-3, which broke the Serrano school record. She threw 106-11⁄2 in the discus at the MRL Finals and finished 33rd at the Div. 2 Prelims with a 99-6.

ALL-PURPOSEDANITA JENKINS, SR., SILVERADOJenkins was the most diverse track and field athlete in the High Desert, excelling in sprints, hurdles, jumps and relays. She competed in the 100, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, triple jump and the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. She made it to the CIF-SS Div. 1 Prelims in the 100 hurdles and finished 18th with a time of 15.92. Both Silverado relays teams also competed at the Div. 1 Prelims. Her 14.99 time in the 100 hurdles at the Inland Empire Championships was the 43rd best time in California this season, according to prepcaltrack.com.

COACH OF THE YEARPAT BRANNON, SILVERADOThe Hawks cruised through High Desert competition this year. Silverado won the Desert Sky League title and beat all the Mojave River League teams it faced, including a 73-63 victor against Serrano to open Silverado’s new stadium. The Hawks earned seven first-place finishes at the DSL Finals.